Wildcard
by Yanmegaman
Summary: We all must play with the cards we are dealt. Some are given a winning hand. Others must work for it. Athena Solaris is a first year at Beacon Academy, dealt a hand that can lead to greatness or failure. Along her journey to become a Huntress, she will make friends and enemies alike, and perhaps even change fate. What do the cards have in store? Draw your first card and find out.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:** Hi everybody!_

 _Some of you may know me already, others, not so much. My name's Yanmegaman. It has been QUITE awhile since I've posted on this site. And, this is my first post EVER not on the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney side of the site._  
 _After alot of thought, I've decided to share this story, detailing the adventures of my RWBY OC's! I'm well aware OC stories are a dime a dozen, so hopefully my characters are interesting enough to keep you guys around!_

 _A few notes before we get started:_

 _I couldn't think of a lore-friendly way to desacribe Dylan's voice, so I'll just say it here. He has an Australian accent, like Velvet._

 _Hunterball is an idea I've come up with myself. It's an actual sport in the RWBY universe that will have a bigger role later on._

 _Cover image was commissioned from Astrovique on Deviantart. See the link on my profile for a better look at the characters!_

 _So, without further ado, welcome to the world of Wildcard!_

* * *

Athena Solaris stared out over the vast landscapes beneath as the airship streaked through the air, heading for it's ultimate destination.

Beacon Academy.

She'd dreamt of going to the prestigious school for as long as she could remember, and today, her dream was becoming reality. She'd gotten her acceptance letter just two weeks earlier, and today was finally the big day.

Other students excitedly chattered around her, including a bombshell blonde and her apparent younger dark haired sister.

Athena was a rather young looking girl of 17 with fiery orange hair which she currently had tied into a ponytail. Her skin was rather pale and fair.

She was dressed in a dark pair of baggy black pants and a yellow vest over a white tank top. The ensemble was topped off by her long black fingerless gloves and of course, her signature accessory and weapon, Inferno Vanguard.

Inferno Vanguard was her custom made weapon, worn on her right arm. A retractable pata that doubled as a Dust-powered arm mounted gun. It was a versatile piece of weaponry that Athena was exceptionally skilled with. Her forte was certainly close range combat, but her gauntlet's gun mode allowed her to step back and catch her breath if need be.

The girl absentmindedly adjusted the the straps on her weapon as the airship's final destination came into view. The massive looming spires of the world famous Academy stretched into the sky for what seemed like miles, standing like the beacon of hope it was named for.

Athena smiled.

Today was the first day of the rest of her life.

* * *

Athena couldn't help but cringe as she disembarked the airship, one of the first sights she saw being a blonde haired boy getting severely airsick after the long journey. The girl decided to ignore this and make her way quickly to the main campus.

The Beacon campus was just as magnificent as she'd always imagined, awe-inspiring in it's design and gargantuan in scale, it certainly gave off the feeling that this was a place where the heroes of tomorrow honed their skills.

However, the aspiring Huntress was so busy taking in the sights that would be her home for the next few years, she was too distracted to notice when someone walked right into her path.

"Oof!"

Athena tumbled to the ground, dragging the unsuspecting bystander along with her, falling on top of the poor person.  
Athena quickly pulled herself to her feet, and offered a hand to the person she'd crashed into, not taking the chance to look for a moment. "S-Sorry about that! I wasn't looking where I was-"

Athena cut her sentence short as she opened her eyes to view the person she'd toppled over.

The PINK person.

"Oh, c'mon! Ya get one look at me and you already go silent?" The angry pink girl said as she climbed to her feet.

"Y-You're-"

"Yes, I'm pink. Any other brilliant observations you'd like to make?" The girl said in a VERY high pitched voice.

Athena's new 'friend' was quite a sight. Short, with a short dark blue haircut that looked more like a boy's, and vibrant pink eyes now pointed glaringly.

She was dressed in a pair of loose black shorts, a chain looping from her back pocket onto her belt loop, a black undershirt beneath a purple short sleeved hoodie, and a strap going across her chest, which held a sword and scabbard on her back. She also had athletic tape wrapped around her hands and up to her elbows.

"If you keep standing there gawking, I might just knock you out." The girl said to Athena, breaking her out of her trance.

"O-Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to stare, it's just that-"

"I'm a Faunus, alright. You act like you've never seen one before."

"Well, I-I have, just... None with pink skin."

The girl scowled at Athena. "You're already ticking me off." The girl reached for the sword on her back. "Keep it up. I dare you."

Athena looked at the short, squeaky voiced girl in front of her, and involuntarily, burst out laughing.

"Pahahahahahaha!" She simply couldn't help it. She felt as though she was being threatened by a pink chipmunk!

"Tch! Forget it." The girl shoved Athena out of her way and walked, apparently still fuming.

Athena held her gut as she doubled over, actually starting to hurt from laughing so hard.

"Oh! Oh Goodness... I haven't laughed that hard in years." Athena said to herself.

"Did I miss a good joke or something? Thought you were about to pass out." A new, heavily accented voice, chimed in, catching Athena's attention. She turned to face the owner of the voice.

Who she found was a rather handsome young man, around her age, with sandy blonde curly hair. He wore a pair of black pants with a tear at the right knee and a large white and blue sleeveless trenchcoat over his bare chest. On his back, he had two scabbards at his waist, seeming to hold two scimitars.

In short, this guy was a looker.

"Oh, well... Honestly, I think you'd have to be there." Athena explained as the stranger stepped closer to her.

"I bet." He held out a hand to her. "Dylan Wave. Nice to meet you."

Happy to have met a friendly face after her encounter with the chipmunk, Athena happily took his hand in a firm handshake. "Athena Solaris. Likewise." She then pointed at his scabbards. "Nice weapons. Scimitars?"

Dylan showed off a cheeky grin and unsheathed his blades. "My Tidal Crashers. Dual scimitar/SMG combo." He flicked his wrists quickly, causing his blades to shift into two small sub-machine guns. "I like to deal out damage quickly." He then flipped his weapons back into their blade forms, giving them a twirl before sheathing them. "What about you?"

Athena flung her arm to the side, extending the blade from her gauntlet. "Inferno Vanguard. Retractable gauntlet sword and arm mounted gun. Guess you could say I like it up close and personal."

"Heh, sounds like I'm the DPS and you're the tank." Dylan smiled. "So, you got any idea where we need to head? I'm kinda completely lost."

Athena giggled. "Kinda completely? Yeah, I grabbed a-" Athena reached for her back pocket, planning to find a map of the school grounds. However, she found nothing. "Oh, that little pink!..."

"Uh, something the matter?" Dylan asked.

Athena let out a sigh. "There was this... Pink Faunus girl I ran into before you showed up. I think she snatched the map I got of the school."

"A... Pink girl... Stole your map?" Dylan asked skeptically.

"She said she was a Faunus, but I have no idea what kind... I SWEAR I'M NOT CRAZY!"

"Right... Hey, maybe she was an elephant." Dylan poked fun at the girl.

"Hey now, that's no way to talk to a lady, Water Boy." A new voice chimed in. Both teenagers turned to see a blonde bombshell of a girl wearing yellow gauntlets making her way towards them.

"Yang? Hey! I wasn't sure you made it in!" Dylan made his way to the girl and held a hand up, which Yang caught with her own.

"Hah! Like there was ever any doubt." Yang smiled a cheeky grin. "So... You gonna introduce me to your girlfriend?"

"G-Girlfriend!?" Dylan turned red as a tomato.

"I-I literally just met him!" Athena managed to turn even redder.

Yang, however, busted out laughing. "I'm messing with you, Water Boy. Gods, you're too easy." She made her way to Athena and held out a hand. "Name's Yang Xiao Long. Sorry if Water Boy over there's been given you trouble."

"Uh, A-Athena. Athena Solaris. And he hasn't, really."

"Hey, what do you mean by trouble, anyway?" Dylan chimed in.

"Eh, that's a story for another time. Right now, we need to get to main hall." Yang said.

"Speaking of, you know where that is?" Athena asked.

"I do. C'mon, follow me."

With that, Athena and Dylan began to Yang to the main hall.

"So, hope I'm not prying too much, but how do you two know each other?" The redhead asked her companions.

"Oh, me and Water Boy go waaaaaay back!" Yang exclaimed.

"We met two years ago."

"Like I said, WAY back!" Yang retorted. "Ah, the two of us were the same year back at Signal. He transferred from Flare a couple years back."

"And the nickname?" Athena asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Silence fell over the group.

"Yang, don't you-"

"He was literally the water boy for our Hunterball team." Yang cut the boy off.

"Yang, for the love of-"

"Ah, lighten up, Water Boy! I mock you because I like you!"

Athena couldn't help but laugh at the two friends bickering as they finally arrived at Beacon's main hall, finding a growing crowd of students gathering. The trio made their way to the center of the room.

"Gaaaah, you drives me nuts, you discount Super Saiyan!"

"Oh really?" Yang suddenly pulled Dylan into her grip, giving the boy what looked to be a very painful noogie.

"Ow! Dammit, lemme go!" Dylan struggled to break from her grip.

"Tell me ya love me, first!"

"Eat a bag of dicks! OW!"

Athena chuckled at the two's antics and scanned over the room, seeing Hunters and Huntresses of all shapes and sizes. Weapons big and small. Humans and Faunus. It was perhaps the first time she'd seen so much diversity in one spot.

The girl was pulled from her thoughts when Yang called out to someone.

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!"

Athena looked to see a short girl with reddish-black hair in a red a black blouse and a red hood making her way toward them, apparently someone Yang knew.

"How's your first day going, little sister?" Yang asked the girl.

"You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?!" The girl, apparently named Ruby, snapped.

"Yikes, meltdown already?"

"You really ought to work on your anxiety, Rubes." Dylan said to the girl.

Ruby seemed to have more to say to Yang, but turned her attention to Dylan. "Dylan! You made it in!?"

"Nah, I just snuck in. Rough day?" He asked.

"Ugh, like you wouldn't believe. I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled again, and I felt really really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me-"

"YOU!"

A new booming voice rose up from directly behind Athena, causing her and Ruby both to jump, albeit Ruby into Yang's arms.

"OH GOD IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN!"

Athena took a moment to take in the sight of the girl currently yelling at Ruby cradled in Yang's arms and froze.

 _No. No it can't be._

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" A girl with a snow white ponytail in an equally winter-y... Combat skirt?... Scolded Ruby.

"Oh my God, you really exploded." Yang mumbled.

Ruby went on to insist that the incident was nothing more than an accident, but was quickly silenced by the snowy haired girl, who shoved what looked to be a pamphlet in her face and suddenly went into a long-winded and very much rehearsed spiel about the Schnee dust company, which quickly gave Athena a headache trying to follow.

"Um..." Ruby seemed just as lost as her.

"You really wanna start making things up to me?" Ponytail girl asked.

"Absolutely?"

The girl shoved the pamphlet into Ruby's hand. "Read this and don't ever speak to me again." It was then that the girl's eyes drifted to Athena. "Hm? Excuse me, but-"

 _Oh no, here goes._

"Do we know each other? You look so familiar."

Athena inghaled deeply through her nose before letting out a sigh. "Good to see you too, Weiss."

Weiss's eyes widened for a moment in surprise. "Athena?"

Dylan, Ruby, and Yang all took an immediate interest in this exchange.

"Been awhile, huh?" Athena was already feeling the trio's eyes burning into her.

"It certainly has. I wasn't aware-"

However, to lucky for Athena, she was saved by the figurative bell as a clearing of the throat was heard over the loudspeaker.

"I'll... Keep this brief." Everyone tunred their attention to the stage at the front of the hall to see none other than Professor Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon, at the microphone.

"You have traveled here today in search of knowledge-to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose – direction."

Athena shifted awkwardly as he spoke, desperately wanted to squirm her way out of her awkward situation.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

As Ozpin closed his speech, his Vice-headmistress, Glynda Goodwitch, stepped to the microphone, however, Athena was already sneaking her way to the door.

As Goodwitch dismissed the students, Weiss quickly turned to continue speaking to Athena, but was met with nothing but the empty space the girl once occupied.

"Of all the schools on this planet, she had to come to this one?" Athena growled as she put as much distance as she could between herself and Weiss.

"So, I'm no genius, but I take it you know our little Ice Queen back there?"

Athena quickly spun around and was met with Dylan, who had apparently followed her.

The girl sighed. "I suppose you could say that."

"Seriously? How on Remnant are you friends with Weiss Schnee?" Dylan asked.

"Oh yeah, do tell. How'd you wind up in the company of the trust fund princess?" A new voice chimed in. A distinctive, familiar voice.

"You!" Athena snarled.

"Me!" The pink girl from before replied from her upside down hanging position in a nearby tree as she chewed on an apple.

"Holy crap, there really is a pink girl."

"You little brat, you stole my map!" Athena accused.

"I did." The girl said as she took another bite of her apple. "Lucky I did, too. Bathroom was out of toilet paper." Her eyes shifted to Dylan. "Take a picture, handsome, it lasts longer."

Dylan immediately blushed.

The girl suddenly flipped onto the branch she hung from and leapt from it, landing in front of Dylan and standing uncomfortably close to him. "Name's Cynthia, cutie. What's yours?"

"Aaaaah, uuuuhh, D-Dylan." He stuttered out.

"Well, D-Dylan." She mocked the boys stammering. "Once you get sick of Richie Bitch here, come find me. I tend to stick out." Without another word, Cynthia suddenly placed her hands on Dylan's shoulders and used him to hoist herself on the air, flipping over the boy's head and going on her merry way, somehow finding the time to lob her apple core at Athena, who quickly sliced the discarded fruit in half with her blade.

"That girl... Is something." Dylan said to Athena.

"Oh, she's something alright." Athena said, clenching a fist. "A pain in my ass."

* * *

Athena, dressed in a yellow camisole and baby blue shorts, absentmindedly tapped on her Scroll, playing Dominion Souls Unbound Y, which she'd downloaded on the flight to Beacon. She would have much rather been playing something on her Gamestation 4, but her system was packed away with her other belongings, and the new arrivals would not be given dorms until after initiation.

"So, you always this anti-social?" A voice interrupted her gaming. She looked up to see Dylan, dressed in a black wifebeater and gray sweatpants. "Watcha doooooin?"

The girl smiled softly. "Just passing the time. Can't break out my Gamestation, so mobile games will have to do."

Dylan took a seat next to her, causing Athena to freeze as his shoulder brushed against hers. "Bit of gamer, huh? Nice. What're ya playing?"

"O-oh, uh, Dominion Souls Unbound." She said, scooting away a few inches to calm her nerves from the momentary contact.

"Ooooh, Dominion Souls. Always tried to get into that series, but man, the story gets so confusing. Like, I gave up trying to understand everything when there were 3 different versions of Alanort running around."

Athena chuckled weakly. "Yeah, heard that a lot."

"Anyway, onto the real reason I came to find ya. Picked up on a little rumor about our pink friend."

"You mean the gremlin? What, does she sneak into people's rooms at night and steal their underwear?"

That earned a hearty chuckle from Dylan. "Not quite, but she does apparently have some sticky fingers. From what I've heard, she didn't get into Beacon the usual way. She tried to snatch Ozpin's wallet and when he caught her, instead of turning her in, he gave her a full scholarship."

Athena went wide-eyed. "Are you serious? All of us bust our asses and she gets a free ride?"

"Y'know it's not nice to talk about other people behind their backs." A squeaky voice chimed in. A moment later, Cynthia appeared before the 2, wearing nothing but a black pair of panties and a ratty purple tank top.

Athena scowled at the girl and got to her feet. "Yeah, well neither is being a thief."

The two girls stared each other down. "You really know how to tick me off, y'know that, Princess?"

"The feeling's mutual, Pinkie."

Suddenly a a long whip extended from the wall, encircling the two girls and pulling them together.

"Gah, w-what the hell?!" Cynthia cried as she struggled against the binding.

"Ow! Hey, hold still!"

"Will you two just kiss and make up already?" An entirely new voice called out. The two girls along with Dylan followed the voice and found themselves looking at a girl with long raven black hair with a blindfold tied over her eyes. The girl was an all black pajama ensemble with the crest of a spade over the left breast. In her lap, she had a book while her right hand held the handle of a dagger with a long whip extending from it. The whip appeared to vanish into the wall across from her and reappear from the one behind Athena. "You're distracting me."

"What the- How the hell are you-" Athena tried to ask a question.

"Semblance." The girl responded before the question was even asked.

"Alright, follow-up question," Cynthia began. "Who the hell are you and why are you butting in?"

The girl pulled the trigger on her weapon, retracting the whip and forming the weapon back into a dagger wish she quickly placed on her back with a flourish as she stood, closing her book. "Ravyn Nightengale. And I butted in because you're distracting me from my reading."

"Reading? How do you read with a blindfold?" Dylan finally chimed in. He was met with a menacing glance from the girl, which sent a shiver down his spine despite the blindfold.

The girl responded by holding up her book, which had a cover with small bumps across it rather than a title. Braille.

Athena's eyes widened. "You're blind? And you still managed to tie us up like that?"

"I'm calling witch. How many virgins did you sacrifice for that trick?" Cynthia remarked.

"Right, never heard that one, Lizard Lady."

It was Cynthia's turn to be taken aback. "Wait, h-how do you know what kind of Faunus I am?"

Ravyn simply smirked. "Call it a lucky guess. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find somewhere more peaceful to read." With that, Ravym turned on her heel and disappeared into the crowd of other students.

The three Hunters-in-training could do nothing but stare after her with mouths agape.

"So... Lizard Lady, huh?" Dylan broke the silence.

"Tch, lucky guess my ass..." Cynthia responded before looking at Dylan. "Yeah, in case you haven't guessed, I'm a chameleon faunus."

"If that's the case, why not make like a chameleon and disappear?" Athena growled at the girl.

"Oooooh, I'm so scared." Cynthia put her hands to her face in a fake scream as her skin turned a chilling blue color before quickly turning pink again. "Why don't you run off and go count your money with the Ice Queen?" She shoved Athena back a few inches.

Dylan suddenly intervened, stepping between them and pushing them by their chests. "Look, just take it easy, you two. Gods, we've been here less than a day and you're already at each other's throats."

"Aw, taking her side, stud? I thought you were better than that." Cynthia faked a hurt voice. "Fine, I'll back off and be on my way." She turned on her heel and began walking away before glancing over her shoulder. "And yes, you can look at my ass while I walk away."

Dylan turned red faced at this before suddenly crying out as Athena grabbed his hand and nearly crushed it. "GAAAAH!"

Athena suddenly looked at her hand, currently grasping the one she had placed on her chest and quuickly released it. "S-Sorry! I-I just..."

"Are you alright?" Dylan reached his good hand to place on her shoulder.

Athena gasped and quickly backed up, avoiding his touch. "Y-yeah! Just... I-I don't... Like to be touched."

"O-Oh... Sorry, Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Dylan's hand retreated.

Athena let out a long sigh as she pressed her back to the wall and slid down it, her hands to her face. "It's fine."

"Is... Something more bothering you?" The sandy-haired teen asked as he joined her, making sure not to sit too close.

The redhead moved her hands. "Little bit, yeah."

"Do you... Wanna talk about it?"

Another sigh. "Not really, but I guess I probably should."

"I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say it has something to do with that Weiss girl."

Athena chuckled and leaned the back of her head against the wall. "What gave it away?"

"Well, when she showed up at the opening ceremony, you went kinda blank. And you seemed to tense up when Cynthia brought her up just now. Some kind of bad experience with her?"

Athena stayed silent a moment. "... You still got your coat nearby?"

"Uh, yeah, it's in my bag over there." He pointed his thumb toward a still packed sleeping bag.

"Go get it."

Dylan obeyed, retrieving his coat that he had worn earlier from his belongings. "Alright, what do I need this for?"

"Look at the tag on the inside of the collar."

Again, Dylan did as he was told. "Hand-wash only... I don't get it."

The girl sighed. "Not that. The brand name."

"Oh! Uh... Solaris Industries... Wait, Solaris?" He glanced back to Athena.

"Yep... You're looking at the heiress of Solaris Industries. The second largest Dust company on Remnant."


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_ _Well, this is a much shorter chapter than the first. However, I really wanted this one to end at relatively the same the spot as the show did here. Next chapter will have alot more going on, so I wanted to make sure I didn't bog this one down with too much and also wanted to get another chapter out as quick as I could to keep people interested._

 _A quick thanks to both FORD B and thepudz for there reviews. Even short reviews warm my heart and keep me wanting to write! They're what I absolutely missed most about this site._

Now, let's get rolling with chapter 2!

* * *

"So, just to recap..." Dylan said, retrieving his scimitars from his assigned locker. "Your family is straight up loaded."

Athena let out an exasperated sigh as she strap Inferno Vanguard to her wrist. "Yes, Dylan. My family is very wealthy."

"And yet you turned down a recommendation so you could get in the old fashioned way?" Dylan attached his sheathes to his back, making sure they were firmly in place.

"Yep. That's pretty much the gist of it." The redhead took a swig from her nearby water bottle. "Look, my mother's company specializes in Dust-infused clothing. Highly sought after by Hunters and schools alike. So, just about every Academy was willing to just let me in, if it meant getting on my mother's good side."

"I guess that's true." Dylan took a seat on the nearby bench to adjust his boots. "This coat was pretty expensive, but it helps augment my Semblance, since it's infused with Ice Dust. Guess I never really paid attention to the brand."

"I didn't want a free ride." She looked at her gloved hand and clenched a fist. "Even the clothes I'm wearing aren't something my mother gave me. I made them myself."

"Seriously? No offense, but I didn't take you for the seamstress type."

Athena shook her head as the two of them began top head out of the locker room. "None taken. I just... Picked up on a few things, being the daughter of a clothing CEO. I even figured out how to weave dust into them. The vest and gloves are infused with fire dust."

"Fire, huh? Something to do with your Semblance?"

"Yep. See, I can- WHOA!" Athena suddenly cried out and stumbled over as a spear suddenly cut through her path, pinning a blonde haired student to a nearby wall.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" A voice called out, one belonging to a redheaded Goddess of a girl, who Athena recognized as Pyrrha Nikos.

"Aaaaah, i-it's fine. Just... Watch where you're aiming." The girl said, accepting a hand offered by Pyrrha that pulled her to her feet.

"I didn't see you coming around the corner. That was entirely my mistake." Pyrrha explained.

"Nearly turned her to a kebab. 'Mistake' is putting it a bit lightly. OW!" Dylan cried out as Ruby appeared behind him.

"Be nice, Dylan! She said she was sorry." Ruby chastised the boy.

Dylan rubbed the back of his head. "What is with you and your sister abusing me?!"

"Hey, what can I say? You make a good punching bag!" Yang appeared and slammed a fist into her open palm. "Besides, if we didn't pick on you, then THAT'S when you'd know we were mad."

"Oh, Athena. There you are." Another voice joined in on the conversation. Athena glanced over Pyrrha's shoulder to see Weiss, and any smile she may have had dropped.

"Oh, uh, hey Weiss."

"We didn't get a chance to speak properly after the opening ceremony yesterday. How is-"

However, fate once again intervened as the loudspeaker in the locker room came to life. "Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation. Again, all first year students, please report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

"Ooooh, sounds like there's no time to chat now, Weiss. Let's catch up another time."

"Hey, wa-"

No sooner had the words left Athena's mouth had she made a beeline for the exit, heading for the cliff.

Dylan followed closely behind her.  
"Wow, you REALLY don't wanna talk to her. Huh?"

"I would think that much is obvious." Athena began power walking to put as much distance between herself and the Schnee heir as possible."

"You never did explain to me what your beef with her is."

"It's less about my beef with her, and more about her family's beef with mine."

"What do you mean?" Dylan asked.

"That much should be pretty obvious. Solaris Industries is the Schnee Dust Company's largest competitor." Athena explained as Beacon Cliff came into view. "And because of that... They'll do anything to see it torn down."

* * *

"For years, you have trained to become warriors." Ozpin spoke to the students gathered on the cliff. "And today, your skills will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Each student stood on square platform on the cliff's edge, marked with the Embalm of Beacon Academy. Athena stood on the leftmost platform, with Dylan to her right followed by Ravyn and Cynthia.

"Now," Goodwitch spoke up as Ozpin trailed off. "I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams."

 _Here we go._ Athena thought to herself, adjusting the straps of her weapon.

"Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates..." The woman trailed of for a moment, clearly for dramatic pause. "Today."

 _That's what I was afraid of._ Athena looked over the rest of her classmates, mentally noting which would make ideal teammates.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of you time here at Beacon." Ozpin picked up the explanation. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

"Pssst. Hey Athena."

Athena glanced to her right to see Dylan trying to get her attention.

"You and me?" He mouthed the words.

She thought for a moment, before smiling and giving a nod.

"That being said," Ozpin continued. "The first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

 _Aaaaaand there's the kicker._

"What!?" Athena heard a voice, which she believed belonged to Ruby cry out at this news.

However, Ozpin wasted no time in continuing his explanation. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything your path. Or you _will_ die."

 _No problems there. I got some aggression I need to work out._

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing and grade you appropriately."

 _Sounds like a standard fetch quest._

"Are there any questions?" Ozpin finally asked. Athena swore she heard a rather nervous voice speak up, but it was a bit too far away to understand. "Good! Now, take your positions."

Athena crouched down and placed her right hand on her platform, intending to fire her weapon at the peak of the platform's launch to gain as much distance as possible. She glanced at Dylan as he put his hands on the handles of his swords. He looked back at her and grinned. "See ya on the other side, partner."

Athena chuckled. "Yeah, right back at ya."

Athena was the first to be launched, firing her weapon at the last second to gain altitude, succeeding in gain quite a bit of distance.

Dylan followed shortly after, kicking off the platform to gain some distance of his own. He unsheathed his weapon, intending to use a hidden feature of them to glide through the air, but he found himself being dragged quickly to the ground not long after he felt something wrap around his ankles. He looked down to see Ravyn, who had tethered two whips to his ankles and was quickly dragging them both to the ground.

"WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"

Cynthia was the next to be launched, pulling a black and purple sword from the sheathe on her back and splitting it in two before quickly changing both blades into two bladed tonfas. She pulled the triggers on them just as the platform reach it's highest point, firing two explosive shots from the ends and gaining massive altitude.

As more and more students were flung into the air, Athena looked around, but could find no trace of Dylan.

 _Great. Must've flung myself too far. Well, there's plenty of people I DON'T hate at this school. As long as I don't end up with the pink chipmunk or Weiss, I should be alright._

The girl braced herself as the foliage of the trees came closer and closer. And, oddly enough, a high pitched screaming became louder and louder.

Athena finally breached the treeline, quickly aiming herself at a tree and burying her blade into the side of it, spiraling down the trunk and firing her weapon for some distance at the last second.

She performed a quick roll before jumping to her feet and quickly surveying her surroundings. Luckily, it appeared she had landed in a Grimm-free area. But that hardly mattered. She was still in the enemy's territory.

And the trial of the Emerald Forest had begun.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**_ _I return! There was a bit of a wait on this one while cause I been working a ton of overtime at work. I am pretty happy with how this one turned out, especially with the fight scene. I'm glad I at least got this out shortly after the volume 6 premiere! I really hope you guys like what I've done, and if ya do, feel free to leave some feedback! It's what keeps me coming back!_

* * *

"Hm, well that was fast. It appears we have our first pair." Glynda said as she observed her Scroll.

"Oh? And who might that be?" Ozpin inquired, sipping from his mug.

"...Mr. Dylan Wave and Ms. Ravyn Nightengale." Glynda answered. "An interesting pair, to say the least. I do hope the girl's disability will not drag Mr. Wave down."

* * *

"-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Dylan continued to scream as he was dragged down by Ravyn, right up to the moment he crashed to the ground, with the girl landing feet first on his back. "Gaaaaaah... My spine..."

Ravyn quickly retracted her whips, forming her weapons back into daggers. "Stop complaining. I'm half your weight."

Dylan rose to from his laying position to now being on his hands and knees, glaring at the girl, who was wearing an asymmetrical outfit with one long right sleeve and one full left leg on her pants, as well as a white skirt and white pair of boots. "You just plucked me out of the sky and landed on my back after falling 500 feet! … Speaking of which, WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!?"

The girl waved a hand in front of her blindfolded face. "I can't exactly see anything in the air."

"Yeah, well, I still don't understand how you see anything, apparently being blind as a bat." Dylan said, climbing to his feet.

"Semblance." She replied bluntly.

"Alright, stop right there. You can't just say Semblance and expect me to understand. What the hell IS your Semblance? Cause right now, I'm not so sure Cynthia wasn't right about the witch thing."

"Hmm..." Ravyn stopped and thought for a moment. "Well, perhaps it would be easier to show you." The girl walked to a nearby tree and pointed at the forest floor. "Do you see the shadow this tree is casting?"

Dylan nodded, crossing his arms. "Yeah. Gonna get to how YOU can see it?"

"Just watch." Ravyn stepped into the shadow cast by the tree... And soon began dissappearing into the ground.

"W-What the-!"

Ravyn soon vanished completely from sight, leaving Dylan staring wide-eyed where the girl had been standing only moments before.

"My Semblance-"

"GAH!" Dylan jumped back as he heard Ravyn's voice right in his ear, spinning around to see the girl standing right behind him.

"-is Shadow Sneak. I can sink into the shadows cast by anything and use them to maneuver around the battlefield." Ravyn went on to explain, pulling out her weapons and firing them into the shadow of the same tree she had indicated earlier. The dagger-whips disappeared into the shadow and reappeared from the trunk of another tree before vanishing into a another one. This continued for some time, the long whips of her weapons forming a spider web between the trunks of the trees. "I can also transfer this ability to anything, or anyone, I want."

"Holy crap... That's some ability... Wait, so, how does that help you see?" Dylan asked.

Ravyn retracted her whips before sheathing her daggers again. "My Semblance gives me a connection to the shadows. How they overlap and intersect. Using this connection, I can form a mental image in my head of exactly what my surroundings look like. If something casts a shadow, I can see it. I even have a vague idea of what you look like." The girl walked past him, now standing at his back. "However, my connection only works when my feet are on the ground. When I jump or am propelled into the air, I have only my own memory to go by."

"So, the reason you grabbed onto me was because you had a vague idea of where I'd be in the air, right?" Dylan turned around to face the girl.

Ravyn nodded. "Having lived the way I have for so long, my mind can work very quickly. I had to run math through my head, but I knew approximately where you'd be. Had I simply been launched like everyone else, I likely would have smashed into a tree."

"Gods... Maybe warn someone before you use them as a landing cushion next time?"

"I'll consider it. Now, we should be moving." Ravyn commented.

"True." Dylan walked past the girl in search of the Forest Temple.

"Not that way." Ravyn suddenly said.

"What?"

"The only thing that way is a pack of Beowolves. She raised her right hand and pointed. "We need to go this way. We'll find a path."

Dylan stared confusedly at the girl for a moment before throwing his hands up in defeat. "Alright. Guess I'll be relying on you to be my compass." And with that, he began to follow behind Ravyn.

* * *

Athena slashed at a thicket of vines before her with her blade, carving a path for herself as she searched for the forest temple.

She'd been walking for about 30 minutes now, and had yet to come across anyone. She figured Dylan being her partner was out the window, as she hadn't even seen where he'd fallen. She wasn't too concerned with who her partner would be, so long as she didn't wind up with Weiss or...

"That annoying, high-pitched, pink-" Athena swung her blade at another thicket of vines to cut them away.

"...Oh, you have got-"

"To be-"

"KIDDING MEEEEEEE!"

* * *

"And that's another pair. Ms. Athena Solaris and Ms. Cynthia Selene. Honestly, I'm not sure what you saw in a girl who would openly try to steal your wallet, Headmaster." Glynda said to Ozpin, who stood on the edge of the cliff overlooking the forest.

"Hm..." Ozpin hummed to himself, deep in thought as the trial of the Emerald Forest unfolded.

* * *

"You have no idea where we're going, do you?" Athena groaned at Cynthia as the duo wandered aimlessly through the forest.

"Of course I do! Faunus senses are way better than a human's." Cynthia boasted, her voice coming out as a half growl as she snapped at the girl. Which she had been doing for the last 20 minutes.

"Oh really? Because I've been leaving notches in the trees we pass." Athena placed a hand on the side of the nearest tree. "And we've passed Leafa here three times."

"Tch." Cynthia turned to face the redhead. "Well, if you think you're such a great navigator, why don't YOU take the lead?!"

Athena put her hands on her hips and got eye level with the pint-sized girl. "Oh, is that an option? Because I seem to remember something being said along the lines of 'Shut the hell up and follow me.'"

"Grrr... What is your problem!?" Cynthia snapped.

"MY problem?" Athena put a hand on her chest, indicating herself. "Last I checked, I wasn't the one lobbing half-eaten apples at people!"

"Hah! Seriously? You're still on about that? What, did I mess up little miss Big Buck's favorite dress?" Cynthia mocked. "At least I don't go around laughing at people because of how they look!"

Athena was taken aback. "H-How the hell do you even know I come from money."

"Well..." Cynthia walked up to Athena, brushing a hand across her cheek as she circled around, causing Athena to freeze up. "Soft, smooth, skin..." She played with the redhead's ponytail. "beautiful, silky smooth hair..." And she finally tugged on the girl's vest before spinning around behind Athena. "And really nice, expensive clothes. Please, you REEK of money. And that's not even mentioning your last name AND that you're friends with Little Miss Schnee."

Athena spun around. "So, what? You hate me because my family is rich?!"

"Close. I hate you because 1: You take one look at the tiny pink girl and laugh. And 2: You wouldn't know a hard life if it bit you in the ass." Cynthia tugged on her jacket. "See this outfit? Drug it out of a dumpster when I was 13. Too big then, but I finally grew into it. I've busted my ass to get to where I am. And you? How much did your family shell out to get Daddy's Little Girl into her dream school?"

Athena froze and clenched a fist at the last comment.

"No answer? That's all the answer I need." Cynthia shoved her way past the girl and continued walking.

"So you think I've just had it easy?" Athena said, her face pointed at the ground and her fists clenched.

Cynthia stopped in her tracks. "Finally find your voice, Daddy's Girl? Yeah, I think you got everything you ever wanted. Just like all you rich snobs."

Athena clenched her fist tighter. "Stop calling me that."

However, Cynthia persisted, acting scared and speaking in a mocking voice. "Oh daddy! Please, come save me! I'm cold and scared and there aren't enough 0's in my BANK ACCOUNT!"

Athena gritted her teeth and glared at the girl, finally truly snapping. "SO I GOT IT EASY, HUH? WELL, WHAT ABOUT YOU? BASED ON WHAT I HEARD, YOU GOT IN AFTER TRYING TO SWIPE OZPIN'S WALLET! WHO GOT THE FREE RIDE AGAIN?"

Cynthia stood frozen for a moment, only staring at the ground. Finally she walked up to Athena and punched her right in the face with a right hook.

Athena was sent reeling and held her cheek as she nearly tumbled to the ground. "...Can't even handle the truth, huh? You just resort to lashing out." The girl curled her hand into a fist and drove it straight into Cynthia's gut, sending the Faunus girl sliding across the ground. "Well, that's fine by me. I've got some anger to work out anyway."

"Ghh..." Cynthia held a hand to her gut, that hit knocking some wind out of her. Then, out of nowhere, the girl smiled. "Heh... The number of times I've taken a hit like that..." The Faunus reached to her back and pulled out her weapon, splitting it in two and shifting them into their tonfa-pistol mode. She bounced on her feet, ready for a fight. "What's your Semblance, girl? C'mon, gimme a little taste!" She held her weapons in front of her, pulling the triggers with her pinkies, and shot two fire bullets at Athena.

Athena stood her ground and took the hits like they were nothing, the burning projectiles not even singing her clothes. The redhead extended the blade of her weapon. "If you wanna fight, come get in close and see what I can really do."

Cynthia gritted her teeth and charged in. "Don't mind if I do!" She rushed in with a right handed swipe, aiming at Athena's face, but Athena blocked it with her blade and knocked her arm back, taking the chance to swing at Cynthia's face with her left hand, landing a strong punch on her cheek and dazing the girl for a moment.

Cynthia found her bearings quickly though and got back into the fray, clashing blades with Athena. But Athena was quick, blocking and dodging each strike, all with a stoic look on her face.

Realizing she was making no progress, Cynthia changed up her tactic. With each swipe she took at Athena, at the perfect moment, she pulled the triggers of her weapons and shot a fire bullet right at her face.

However, she quickly realized this was a mistake, as not only did the shots seem to leave no mark on the girl, she appeared to be getting even faster.

Suddenly, Athena swept Cynthia's legs out from underneath her by ducking down low to dodge an attack and delivering a sweep kick. She followed up by grabbing Cynthia by the face and tossing her against a tree, quickly retracting her blade and firing an ice bullet at her, instantly freezing the Faunus to the tree.

"Hah... Hah... Hah... Heh... You're Semblance... Has to do with fire, doesn't it?" Cynthia said, unable to move.

Athena charged at the girl quickly, delivering a series of blows to her face before smashing her fist through the ice and punching Cynthia directly in the gut, the sheer force of the attack snapping the tree in half and sending Cynthia flying.

"That's right." Was Athena's only reply as she stood, glaring at the girl now on the forest floor as steam rose from her body.

"Good... To know..." Cynthia got to her feet, still ready to fight.

"Learn when you've lost, already. We've got more important things to worry about."

"I'll stop when I'm good and ready!" Cynthia ducked low and slammed her weapons into the ground, firing explosive rounds at the dirt and kicking up a dust cloud.

"W-What the-"

"Aw, what's wrong, Daddy's girl?" Cynthia's voice rang out from somewhere around Athena, but where from she couldn't tell. "Can't see with those human eyes of yours?"

"Gah!" Athena cried out as she was hit with two icy cold bullets. "You little... Fight fair!" She yelled as she spun the Dust selector of her weapon and extended the blade, now burning with a bright flame.

"Hey, this is fair, princess! I'm just using my surroundings!"

"AH!" Another two shards hit Athena, weakening her further.

"HAAAAAAAH!" Cynthia suddenly dove at the girl from above, but Athena just managed to block the attack, clashing blades with the girl.

"G-Ghhhh... W-What the hell.. Is your problem with me?"

"You rich bastards are all the same! You never have to work for anything, and you never think to use all that Lien to help others! You see the cold, starving Faunus on the streets and you turn up your nose!" Cynthia was fuming now, pressing against Athena's fiery blade with all her might trying to overpower the girl.

"Hah... You're one to talk about other people being handed things! I don't care what the hell kind of life you've had! You don't know a damn thing about me! You just assume everything's been given to me!" Athena pressed even harder against Cynthia tonfas, her hand against the burning point of her own blade. "HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED MAYBE SOMETHING WAS TAKEN FROM ME!?" The girl suddenly lost her footing, sliding over a tree root, and losing the power struggle against Cynthia as the girl's tonfa slid past her defenses and gliding along her left cheek. "AH!"

Athena stumbled back, holding her cheek, but Cynthia wasted no time and kicked the girl to the ground, pressing a foot to her chest and aiming her weapons at the girl. "What the hell would you know about having something taken from you!? I've had everything taken! My home, my family, my damn dignity!" She leaned closer, the muzzles of her guns now only inches from Athena's face. "WHAT THE HELL COULD SOMEONE HAVE TAKEN FROM YOU!?"

"G-Ghhhh..." Athena struggled against Cynthia's foot crushing her chest, her teeth gritted and now on the verge of tears. "P-Please..."

"Please what!?"

Athena stopped struggling and looked up at the girl, her eyes pleading and tears threatening to fall. "Please... Don't make me relive it..."

Cynthia glared at the girl for moment longer as her request sank in. Finally, she sighed. "Kicking an opponent while they're down..." She put her weapons back into one sword and sheathed them quickly, holding out a hand to Athena. "I won't make you tell me, alright."

Athena batted the girls hand away and stood her feet, walking forward a few feet before hissing in pain and leaning against a tree. She reached into one of the pouches of her belt and pulled out a vial of ice Dust, holding it against the cheek Cynthia had cut.

Cynthia stood behind her, her arms crossed and a grin on her face. "I hit pretty hard, don't I?"

Athena pocketed the Dust again as the pain of her newly formed scar numbed. "You hit like a rabid monkey..." She then turned around to face the girl. "Look, I'm sorry you've had a rough life. And I'm sorry I laughed at you yesterday. But you still had no right to make so many assumptions about me. I'm here because I earned it. I don't even have access to my mother's money, because she doesn't want to support me being a Huntress."

Cynthia jammed her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "And I'm sorry I;ve been such a bitch. You gotta understand, I used to live on the streets begging, and the ones that gave were never the ones that were wearing the latest fashion trends or who were late for brunch."

"Look... Let's just... Start over." Athena held a hand out to the girl. "Athena Solaris."

Cynthia stared at the hand for a moment before reaching out and taking it in a handshake. "Cynthia Selene."

Just as the two were making amends, however, Athena looked up into the treetops as a shadow loomed over them, her eyes going wide. She quickly leapt forward and tackled Cynthia to the ground. "Look out!"

"Whoa! Buy me a drink first at least!" Cynthia cracked, just as a massive crashing sound echoed through the forest from right behind them.

Both girls looked and found themselves looking at a VERY hungry and VERY massive Arachne, a tarantula-like spider Grimm.

"O-Oh crap..." Athena said to herself as they both stood to their feet.

"Damn, guess I'm so sexy, I'm even attracting spiders now!" Cynthia cracked again, apparently having no concept of 'not the time.'

Athena grabbed the girl by the wrist and began running through the trees. "Run, you idiot!"

Cynthia simply laughed and ran ahead. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** _Hoooooooooowdy ho! Sorry for another delayed chapter. Alot happened in this one and overtime at work as gotten crazy. But, I am pretty happy with how this turned out. Next chapter, we can finally start following team CARD exclusively, rather than having them shoehorned into scenes ripped from the show, so look forward to it!_

 _One thing to note, I wrote the fight scene this chapter to fit with this FANTASTIC theme that I commissioned from Halusatwin on Youtube(Remove all spaces to view): htt ps/ / : bit . ly / 2Ao36pX  
_

 _Not a whole lot else to be said, except I hope you all enjoy, and don't forget to leave feedback!_

* * *

"So, exactly how far can you see with your... Shadow sense?" Dylan asked his companion as they traveled along a path to the the forest temple.

"Don't call it that. And right now, in this dark forest at his time of day, I can see clearly for about 300 feet in any direction. If it were nighttime, it would be even further."

"Seriously? Not gonna lie, that's pretty- Oof!" Dylan cried out as Ravyn suddenly put a hand to his chest, stopping him in his tracks. "Uuuuhhh, is now really the time to be feeling up my chest?"

"Shut up..." Ravyn seemed deep in thought. She then suddenly grabbed her partner and dive into the nearest shadow with him.

"WHAT THE-"

A few moments ticked by, the sound of crashing growing louder and louder until suddenly Athena, Cynthia, and the Arachne burst through the trees.

"Y'know, I think I liked it better when you hated me!" Athena yelled. "We're kinda running for our lives, can't you take this seriously?!"

"Sorry Serious Cynthia is reserved for stuck up bitches." Cynthia replied.

As the girls bickered, Ravyn and Dylan emerged from the shadows and landed on the Arachne's back.

"OH SWEET MERCIFUL GODS, LIGHT! NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!" Dylan cried.

"Don't be such a drama queen." Ravyn said as she stood up on the beast's back.

"Hey, you just dragged me into the Shadow Realm with NO WARNING! I will be as dramatic as I want!"

"Don't call it that."

"I WILL CALL THE SOURCE OF MY TRAUMA WHATEVER I WANT!" Dylan exclaimed, finally getting his bearings as he stood up. "Are... We on a giant spider?"

"We are. And your friends are being chased by it." Ravyn told the boy. "Any ideas how to slow it down? I don't like the idea of letting my classmates die."

"Uh..." Dylan observed his surroundings for a moment. "Ah, I got one."

Meanwhile, Athena finally took notice of the two as she glanced back at the monster. "Huh? Dylan, Ravyn?"

"What about them?" Cynthia asked.

"They're on top of the Arachne."

As Athena said that, Ravyn withdrew her daggers and fired the whip from them, the long tethers circling around the head of the spider. When the whips were wrapped tightly, she jumped further back, pulling tight on them, causing the Arachne to rear up on its hind legs. Dylan used this chance to leap from the creature's back and join the two girl on the forest floor.

"Hey, you guys alright?" He asked.

"Been better. But thanks for the save." Athena said to the boy.

"Oh, eeeeeverything's alright when you're around, cutie." Cynthia said, winking at Dylan and causing the teen to blush.

Athena gagged and looked to see Ravyn steering the Arachne like a horse. The beast fought for some time, veering left and right trying to shake the girl off before she forced it to head right, crashing through the trees.

"C'mon, we gotta give her a hand!" Athena said, chasing after the spider tamer.

Before long, something came into view. Several other students appeared to have found the Forest Temple and were gathered in front of.

However, just as they broke through the treeline into the clearing, another student arrived. Pyrrha Nikos. And she wasn't alone. A massive Death Stalker trailed behind her, swiping at her.

Ravyn continued to steer the Arachne further past the temple before she suddenly let go of her makeshift reigns and tossed the handles into the shadows, only for them to reappear and fly towards her. She caught them and repeated this process over and over again until the beast was caught in her own makeshift web made of her whips. She leapt off the beast's back and joined the others by temple.

"Did you just-" A black-haired girl began.

"Ride an Arachne through the forest like a horse and catch it in my own web? Yes." Ravyn completed the sentence.

Yang suddenly exploded, her eyes turning red and flames flying around her as she yelled. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! CAN EVERYONE JUST CHILL OUT FOR 2 SECONDS BEFORE SOMETHING _CRAZY_ HAPPENS AGAIN!?"

Yang heaved and huffed as everyone, save for a bouncy redheaded girl only slightly taller than Cynthia, went silent, a boy in a green outfit with a pink streak through his hair joined them, catching his breath.

"Um, Yang?" Ruby tapped her sister and pointed up. Cynthia, Athena, and Dylan all looked up as well, finding themselves looking at Weiss Schnee dangling from the foot o a Nevermore.

"How could you leave me!?" The albino-haired girl cried.

"I said jump!" Ruby replied, raising SO MANY questions for the new arrivals.

"She's gonna fall."

"She'll be fine."

"Sheeee's falling."

Sure enough, Weiss's grip was lost shortly as she plummeted toward the ground. However, before she could land, the blond-haired boy Athena remembered from the airship and the locker room leapt out of a tree and caught her valiantly in his arms. The two seemed to hang in the air for a moment before realizing they were NOT in a cartoon and dropping like a sack of potatoes, Weiss landing on the boys back with an audible crack, causing Dylan to wince, remember his earlier incident with Ravyn.

Suddenly, the Deathstalker caught up to Pyrrha, swiping at her and sending the girl flying to the feet of the group by the temple.

"Great! The gang's all here. Now we can die _together!"_

"Not i-" Ruby started, but was swiftly cut off by Ravyn.

"Actually, I'd prefer to die alone. Can you all go die somewhere else?"

Everyone stared at the girl, not quite sure what to make of that comment, with Ruby deciding to ignore being cut off and charge straight at the Deathstalker.

"Ruby, wait!" Yang cried after her sister, to no avail as Ruby fired her weapon behind her to rush towards the beast, being knocked away like a piece of paper in the wind and hitting the ground.

The Grimm closed in its pray, prompting Ruby to beat a hasty retreat, the beast following close behind her. To make matters worse, the Nevermore had now joined the chase as Yang rushed to help her sister. Athena and Dylan joining her.

The Nevermore fired a massive barrage of razor sharp feathers that pinned Ruby's cape to the ground and stopped her would-be rescuers in their tracks. Athena and Dylan tried to rush through the maze of projectiles, but the Deathstalker was gaining on the helpless girl fast.

"We're not gonna make it!" Athena cried, igniting her blade to make cutting through the feathers easier.

"C'mon, c'mon! We're coming, Rubes!" Dylan yelled to his friend just as the Deathstalker raised its tail to strike.

"RUBY!" The three cried as the beast struck...

And a cold wind blew past all three of them.

When next the three looked, a massive ice wall had been created between Ruby and her attacker, freezing its tail in place. And between Ruby and that wall, Weiss Schnee, who seemed to be chastising the girl for her brash behavior before walking off, Ruby mumbling something about knees as Yang rushed to hug her sister, relieved for her safety.

"That... Was a bit too close for my tastes." Dylan said to Athena as he sheathed his weapons.

"No kidding." Athena replied, just as the Nevermore circling overhead cried out.

"Guys, that thing's circling back." The blonde boy pointed out. "What do we do?"

"I say we remember our goal here." Athena said, rejoining the group at the temple. "Our quest is to collect an artifact and get back to the cliff."

"She's right. There's no point in fighting these things." Ruby added.

"Run and Live." The blond boy said. "That is an idea I can get behind."

Each of the partners split up to grab a relic from a pedestal.

"You pick ours. I need to go get my weapons." Ravyn said to Dylan.

"Won't that set the Arachne free?" Dylan asked, absentmindedly grabbing one of the black Queens.

"It will. But I can slow it down." The girl then walked off to collect her weapons.

"You should pick ours, Red." Cynthia said to her partner. "My instincts have done nothing but get us lost."

Athena chose to ignore the fact that she hadn't graduated to her actual name being used, grabbing the other black Queen. "Well, least you can admit your flaws."

"Don't push it." Cynthia replied as everyone began making their way to Beacon cliff, all three Grimm in hot pursuit.

* * *

"Hate to break to everyone, but we're kinda cornered here!" Cynthia called out.

The twelve teenagers had retrieved their artifacts and quickly made their way to the cliff at the edge of the Emerald Forest.

However, they were far from safe at this moment as the Nevermore perched itself upon a crumbling structure and the Deathstalker and Archne charged them from both sides.

"Nora, distract it!" Ren said as he dove from behind his cover and made a break for the bridge.

Nora obeyed, shifting her weapon into it's gun mode and firing dust grenades at the Nevermore currently firing a barrage of massive black feathers at the group.

"You guys move, I'll hold this thing off for a second!" Dylan said to Athena, Cynthia and Ravyn, who nodded and made a break for it while Dylan charged the Arachne, slashing at it's sharps legs and bared fangs with is scimitars. He managed to slash one of it's many eyes, sending it reeling and giving him his own chance to run.

Dylan and the three girls were the last to make it onto the stone structure, which was beginning to fall apart even more. The Nevermore had destroyed part of the bridge in pursuit.

Ravyn fired the blades from her daggers, embedding the in the stone tower structure behind the gap and with a mighty thrust pulled herself to the other side.

Cynthia switched her weapons into their gun mode and fired at the ground as she jumped, easily clearing the gap with the added momentum.

Athena retracted her sword and did a quick leap forward, landing on her hands at the edge of the gap and firing her weapon to give herself more momentum, landing again on her hands on the other side before flipping back to her feet.

Dylan ran at full speed and at the last moment embedded his blades into the stone, lifting his feet from the ground and just crossing the gap.

The other 8 students had begun engaging the Nevermore and Deathstalker as the Arachne stayed in hot pursuit, easily clearing the gap and nearly causing the other side of the bridge to collapse under its weight.

"Ravyn, Dylan, get to the other bridges!" Cynthia ordered, the two teens obeying, Dylan going left and Ravyn swinging to the left bridge. "Red, stick with me!"

"I've got a name, but whatever." Athena said, turning around to face her pursuer with Cynthia, extending the blade from her gauntlet. "Probably a bad time to mention I'm arachnophobic."

"All gotta face our fears sometime." Cynthia said before running forward and sliding underneath the creature, taking the chance to slash its exposed underside.

Athena jumped into the air and landed on the beast's face and stabbing one of its eyes while Dylan and Ravyn laid down some cover fire. She then ran along its body, slashing every inch before jumping off its rear and rejoining Cynthia.

"Don't suppose you've got any red dust?" Athena asked the Faunus.

"None that's not already loaded." Cynthia replied, firing at the Grimm as it began to turn around for another attack on the two girls.

"I've got some, heads up!" Ravyn suddenly cried from the other bridge. She embedded her weapon into the stone structure again and ran along the wall, tossing a vial of fire dust at the redhead before joining Dylan on the other bridge.

"Jackpot!" Athena leapt into the air and swiped at the vial with her blade, setting of an immediate explosion.

"Athena!" Dylan cried, afraid his new friend had just blown herself to smithereens.

However, a moment later, he stared in awe as the girl suddenly burst out of the cloud of smoke, steam rising from her body as she charged the spider Grimm with blinding speed, severing one of its fangs as she slashed and spun, faster and with more ferocity than before.

"Whoa..." Cynthia stared in awe as Athena laid into the beast before retracting her blade and punching it in the bone mask and firing a shot from her gauntlet, sending it flying.

However, it was sent flying directly towards the bridge Dylan and Ravyn stood on. The creature just managed to dig its legs into the stone structure, a stray leg swiping Dylan's legs out from under him, sending him plummeting into the waters below.

"DYLAAAAAAAN!" Athena cried out, her eyes fixed on the spot where her friend had sunken into the watery depths.

However, her worry did not last long, as, right before her eyes, a swirling torrent of water burst forward, and at the the tip of the spiral, Dylan, riding what appeared to be his own scimitars formed into a surfboard.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!" The boy cried out.

"Holy crap." Athena said, Cynthia walking up beside her.

"Dibs." Cynthia said, tapping the girl on the shoulder with the back of her hand.

Dylan rode his wave to the same height as the tower before releasing whatever power he held over it, covering his swords in water and slashing as he descended, sending razor sharp discs of ice flying at the creature which severed two of its legs.

Cynthia and Athena quickly joined the other two on the bridge, crossing the gap using their weapons as for momentum.

"I think we need a plan here!" Athena said as the beast recovered and began to charge them.

"And I've got one!" Cynthia rushed forward, firing her weapons behind her to gain speed. "Ravyn, be ready to restrain it!"

"Got it." Ravyn readied herself to fire her whips into the shadowy underside of the bridge above them.

Cynthia continued to charge forward, increasing her speed with each step as she fired her weapons. Suddenly, she tucked herself into a ball, firing again to begin spinning like a saw blade. Just as she was about to collide with the Arachne, she fired her weapons toward the ground, sending her into the air.

She quickly shifted her weapons back into their blade form and dug them into the creature's body, just at the edge of its bone mask.  
Still holding momentum from her spin and in the middle of a backflip while still holding blades, Cynthia put all her weight into it and pulled the Grimm off the ground, throwing it into the stone pillar behind it.

The girl turned her weapons back into their gun mode. "RAVYN, NOW!"

Ravyn fired her whips into the bridge above them, the tips disappearing into the shadows and reappearing above the Grimm, shooting toward it and entangling it's legs, leaving it unable to move and exposing its vulnerable underside.

"OPEN FIRE!"

Dylan and Athena obeyed, following Cynthia as they unloaded every bullet they had into the defenseless Grimm.

"Out of ammo!" Athena cried, extending the blade of her weapon. "Dylan, if you've got any red Dust, give it to me!"

"Grab one from my belt!"

Athena did so and began running towards the beast. Once she was sure she had enough distance between herself and the others, she threw the vial to the ground, creating another explosion. She charged through, coming out the other side with more steam rising from her body.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The girl leapt into the air and dove at the Grimm, her aim true as her blade penetrated the section between the beast's head and rear, splitting it in two.

"Hah... Hah... Hah... Gods, I hate spiders." She said to herself, just in time to hear what sounded like Ruby screaming from the direction of the cliff.  
Cynthia and the others joined her and looked towards the source to see Ruby running along the side of the cliff on Weiss's glyphs, her scythe hooked around the Nevermore's neck.

Her scream grew in intensity until she reached the top of the cliff and cut the Grimm's head clean off.

"Whoa." Was all Athena could say before she felt a tap on her shoulder and looked to see Cynthia at her side.

"Dibs."

Athena smiled for a second before looking back to Ruby... For only a split second before what Cynthia had said sunk in and she looked at the pink girl with a look of confusion.

* * *

"Athena Solaris, Dylan Wave, Cynthia Selene, Ravyn Nightengale." Ozpin spoke in an almost uninterested tone as the four teens gathered on the stage of main hall. "The four of you retrieved the black Queen pieces. From this day forward, you shall work together as team CARD. Led by..."

Athena swallowed a lump in her throat, not sure if she was ready to lead if her name was called.

"Cynthia Selene!"

However, she was even LESS ready for that.

Cynthia crossed her arms and grinned. "Team CARD, huh? I like it. Always thought of myself as a bit of a wildcard."

"Hey, congrats, Pinkie!" Dylan moved in to high five his new leader.

"Aw, no need to be so shy, cutie." The girl suddenly pulled the boy into a tight hug. Once again staining his cheeks red. "Hey, c'mon guys! Team hug!"

Athena and Ravyn reluctantly joined in on a group hug. The first of many for team CARD.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**_ _Good moooooooooooooooooooooorning Remnant! Yes, it is I, He Who Shall Not Post, doing... Exactly that thing I don't do very much: Posting!_

 _I actually finished this one about a week ago, but I couldn't really post it till now, cause my internet's been out. So, I'm actually uploading this from my local library. See kids, libraries ARE good for something!_

 _I'm actually really happy with how this chapter came out, especially with it being the first chapter to not feature any canon moments! So, if ya enjoy, be sure to drop a review and let me know!_

* * *

Athena stared up at the shattered moon of Remnant as she stood on the balcony of her newly assigned dorm. Only hours before, she'd been forced to face her fears by fighting off an Arachne and watch the pink faunus that had been on her nerves ever since she stepped off the airship be named leader of her team.

Needless to say, the redhead needed some time to process all of this.

The others were inside the room, deciding on beds and unpacking what they could. Athena had simply dropped her bag on the bed in the corner and stepped outside to think and get some fresh air.

Three raps on the balcony door pulled Athena out of her trance. She glanced over her shoulder to see Cynthia. "Hey."

Athena ignored her greeting. "What do you want, Cynthia?"

"I... Just wanted to talk." The goofy demeanor from earlier was now gone from the girl's squeaky voice.

"About what? Shouldn't you be getting some rest? Classes start tomorrow."

"Well, yeah but... Look, I'm not an idiot. Just saying we're starting over and me cracking a few jokes isn't gonna totally clear the air between us. So, I wanna apologize. And..." The girl trailed off for a moment. "And explain myself a bit better."

"...I'm listening."

"Could we maybe... Go for a walk or something? Rather it just be one on one. Afraid Dylan and Ravyn might eavesdrop."

Athena finally turned to look at the girl. "It's almost curfew."

"I know, I know. It won't take long, promise."

Athena remained silent for a moment before standing up straight. "Alright. Lead the way."

* * *

"Won't take long, huh?"

"Alright, so I'm a liar, sue me." Cynthia said as she fumbled with a hairpin in the lock of the cafeteria.

"You realize if we get caught, we'll be in deep shit, right?"

"Yep. Look, I just want a midnight snack. I'll take responsibility if we get caught. Besides..." The faunus girl finally heard a click and stood up, popping the door open. "Breaking curfew isn't something they'll expel us for."

The two girls stepped inside, Cynthia making a beeline for the kitchen while Athena took a seat at a nearby table.

"So... Guess I should probably explain myself." Cynthia said, pulling open cabinets and fridges, looking for something or another.

"I'd appreciate it if you did."

The girl carried an armload of fruit and a blender to a counter top, setting them down as she spoke. "Well, I already told you why I'm not exactly a fan of the rich. But, as I'm sure you can guess, it goes deeper than just me living on the streets." She began to put fruits and ice into the blender.

"I figured. And I hope you realize now that I'm not like that. I'm not-"

"You're not some stuck up snob. I get it. I realize that now." Cynthia interrupted, scraping some yogurt into the mixture in the blender. "I made a mistake. And I apologize for that." The blender whirred to life as she turned the machine on. "But not everyone is like you."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Athena asked as she watched the girl work.

Cynthia remained silent for a moment as the blender worked, turning the contents into a bright pink smoothie mixture. "I haven't always been a street rat, y'know. For about the last four years, I actually had a family. My little sister, Clementine and..." Cynthia trailed off as she turned off the blender. "Her."

Athena said nothing as she watched her leader work, pouring two glasses of smoothies and putting a straw in both. She also added extra sugar to one before joining Athena at the table, handing her the one with less sugar.

"About four years ago... I met this little girl." Cynthia began to explain. "To make a long story short, I got into a fight for this girl, against some assholes that stole some money from her. She lived on the streets too." Cynthia took her first sip of her smoothie. "And well... I lost that fight. I probably would have died if it wasn't for one person. The woman who would become my adoptive mother... Kylie Selene."

* * *

"OW! That burns, you old bat!" Cynthia cried as the grey-haired cat Faunus applied an alcohol soaked rag to her head wound.

Kylie Selene was an elderly Faunus with dark skin and a head of curled grey hair. Black cat ears with specks of grey poked out of her hair. She wore a pair of dark sunglasses, telling Cynthia she may be blind, and a grey button up decorated with flowers with a black skirt and leggings.

"I'm a cat, dumbass." The woman's words contradicted her pleasant appearance, the look of a cheerful grandma who would be offering fresh baked cookies. "And of course it burns, it's alcohol on an open wound." The woman wrapped some bandages around the girl's arm. "And you're lucky to be alive, takin' on Aura user."

Cynthia had just tried taking on 4 guys to get some stolen money back for a little girl. A girl she had named Clementine, as she had told Cynthia she didn't have a name, as far as she knew.  
All went well until only one of the thugs was left. She'd been thoroughly whipped by him and left at his mercy, until this old woman showed up and sent the boy running.

"The hell is an Aur- OOOOW! Dammit, gimme some warning!"

"You're even stupider than I thought if you really just asked me that." Kylie said as she placed the rag on another wound. "I ain't gonna go into to all the mystical mumbo-jumbo about it, but Aura is what separates a real fighter from a common punk. Think of it like a forcefield. If you know how to control your Aura, you can take what would be a fatal blow and still keep on trucking." She wrapped another bandage around the girl's head. "Hence, why you were doing both Jack and Shit to that kid."

"...Are you making that up? Cause it sounds like you're making that up." Cynthia said to the woman.

"You don't have to believe me, but you should." The woman gathered up her medical supplies and stood up, offering a hand to the injured girl. "Now c'mon, let's go."

Cynthia looked at the woman questioningly. "Go where?"

"Home." Kylie said, walking away. "Ain't about to let an injured girl sleep on the streets."

"Wait." Cynthia stopped in her tracks. "Just like that? You're willing to let me into your home? For all you know, I might just rob you."

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try, pinkie." Kylie looked back at Cynthia, a shit-eating grin on her face. "Good luck robbing a former Huntress."

Cynthia's eyes widened. "A-A Huntress? You used to be..."

"Really that surprising? I'm past my prime, yeah, but I can still kick some ass."

"...Would you teach me?" Cynthia asked.

"Boy, my hearing must be worse than I thought." Kylie walked back up to Cynthia. "Sounded like some clueless punk that doesn't even think Aura exists just asked me to teach her how to be a Huntress."

"Please. I... I know I have a lot to learn, but being a Huntress is my dream. What better way to actually make something of my life than by dealing with jerks like those regularly? Please." Cynthia actually got on her knees and begged. "Please teach me."

Kylie looked down at the girl for a moment...

Before delivering a swift kick and sending the girl flying.

"Gaaaaaah!" Cynthia rolled around on the concrete in pain. "I'll... take that as a no."

"First lesson." Kylie said as she walked up to Cynthia and offered her hand again. "Never show your neck to an opponent."

Cynthia was stunned as she she took the woman's hand once more. "Y-You mean-"

"You'll stay with me and we'll start your training tomorrow." Kylie hauled the girl to her feet. "Now grab what's left of those weapons of yours. We'll be rebuilding those with parts NOT scavenged from a dumpster."

Cynthia knelt down, gathering whatever could be salvaged from her self-titled 'Chaos Salamandra' when a thought crossed her mind.

"... I can't."

"What was that?"

"I can't. Stay with you that is. There's... This little girl, Clementine. I just met her today, but I can't leave her alone. Thank you for the offer. But I just-"

"Well Goddamn, just go get her!" Kylie exclaimed.

Cynthia was stunned once again. "Are you-"

"Gods, kid, learn to take an offer when ya get one. A couple more mouths to feed ain't gonna bother me none. I ain't rich, but I got enough from my days a Huntress to sustain a couple brats."

"...Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Heh... Call it nostalgia, kid." The woman grinned at the chameleon Faunus. "You remind me of myself. Scrappy, but with a good heart." She slapped a hand onto Cynthia's back. "Now c'mon. Figure I should meet my new daughter."

* * *

"Wow. She sounds amazing, Cynthia." Athena said as she gulped down her own smoothie. Cynthia made a surprisingly good smoothie.

"She really was." Cynthia said. "She was..."

Athena looked concernedly at her leader. "I take it this story doesn't have a happy ending."

"...It doesn't." Cynthia gripped her glass. "Despite what she said, Kylie had to take on missions again to keep me and Clem fed. And one day..." Cracks began to form on the glass, prompting Athena to place a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. "One day... She didn't come back."

Athena sat in silence, her hand still on Cynthia's shoulder, as she watched the Faunus's defenses break down. "It was a simple seek and destroy mission. She went in and cleared out the Grimm. But someone neglected to tell the Schnees." Cynthia stood and began to pace around. "They sent in a bunch of... Novices. With experimental Dust weapons. And those bastards... They just started firing haphazardly at everything that moved. Grimm, each other, animals..." The girl leaned over a counter top and curled her hands into fists. "Faunus."

Athena stood and walked towards the girl. "Cynthia, I-"

"That was 5 months ago. It's just been me and Clem since then." Cynthia continued, ignoring the girl. "That's why I hate the rich... And more specifically, the Schnees. Because they stole my family from me."

Athena was at a loss for words, unsure if she could or even should try to comfort the girl. Nevertheless, she did what she thought was most appropriate in this situation.

She grabbed Cynthia and pulled her into a hug.

No words spoken. No unnecessary apologies. Just the simple act of a hug between... Friends?  
Yes. Friends.

Not sure how much time had passed, the two eventually separated, Cynthia being the first to speak.

"Sorry you had to see that. Still kinda new to the whole... Sharing my tragic backstory thing." She said, circling around the counter and pouring herself what was left of the smoothie mixture.

"Don't apologize. I get the feeling you really needed that. And... I'm sorry you had to go through that. I've dealt with the Schnees before, so I know how unethical they can be." Athena said, taking her seat again.

"I know I shouldn't let what happened affect how I see other people. But I'm only hu- er, Faunus. The way I see it, me hating the rich for that is no different than people who hate the Faunus for the actions of the White Fang." She took a seat and smiled at her redheaded partner. "But at least I know that not all the rich are that bad."

Athena smiled back, holding her half empty smoothie up. "To partners?"

"To partners." The two girls clinked glasses together.

After taking a long sip of her drink, Athena pulled the straw from her mouth. "So. Mind if I ask you a couple things?"

"Yes, it's my real ass. And yes, you may touch it." Cynthia joked, forgoing a straw and gulping straight from the glass.

"That's not... Alright, just... I was wondering. You said you're a chameleon. But even so... Why are you pink?" Athena asked.

"Jesus Chri-"

"WITHOUT making the stupid joke, please."

Cynthia groaned. "Spoilsport... Look, it's not really that complicated. I actually like to stick out in a crowd, despite all the harassment the Faunus get. And, well, pink just so happens to be my favorite color. So, it's an all-around win for me."

"So, you could pass for human if you wanted, but you just... Don't? I respect that." Athena took another sip. "I was also wondering... That rumor about you and Ozpin..."

"Totally true."

"How'd that go down?"

Cynthia gulped down the rest of her smoothie. "Well, after... What happened, I had to start working to support me and Clem. But, it just wasn't enough. So, I had to turn back to something I had really hoped to leave behind."

"Stealing." Athena wasn't guessing.

Cynthia nodded. "I never stole from those who barely had enough themselves, and I'm not proud of it. But yeah. So, one day, I decided I had no choice if I wanted me and Clem to stay off the streets. I scoped out my first target and well..."

"You had the misfortune of trying to rob the headmaster of Beacon." Another statement, rather than a guess.

"Yeeeep. I managed to snatch his wallet, but he managed to grab me. And the first thing the guy says to me?"

"Would you care to join me for lunch?" An entirely new voice joined the conversation.

Startled, both girls turned to face the new arrival...

And found themselves staring at Professor Ozpin.

"Shit!" Cynthia exclaimed as the two girl stood up.

"P-Professor! We were just-"

"Now, now, girls." Ozpin gestured for the two to calm down. "No need to worry. I believe we've all suffered from midnight cravings. Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Oh, uh, n-not at all." Athena said as she nervously took a seat, Ozpin joining them shortly, setting a plate of cookies on the table.

"I would certainly be hypocrite if I were to chastise you for doing the same as myself. The kitchen staff make their cookies before leaving at night." He reached out grabbed one off the plate. "And I happen to have a sweet tooth." He took a bite of his cookie and washed it down with the chocolaty smelling liquid in his ever present mug. "I must say, I am glad to see you two getting along after your altercation during initiation."

"Oh... Right. Guess you would have seen that, huh?" Cynthia said as she grabbed a handful of cookies.

"We're... In trouble aren't we?" Athena asked, too nervous to have any herself.

Ozpin merely chuckled at this. "Why would I punish you for merely butting heads?" The headmaster set his mug back down. "I've come to understand in my life, that we will often butt heads with those close to us. Sometimes, this can lead to shattered friendships and hurt feelings." He seemed to emphasize his point by breaking a cookie in half. "However, other times... The stress, the heat of an argument or fight may be exactly what is needed to to us closer. Take this for instance." He held up a cookie. "When making a cookie, one mixing many ingredients together. Eggs, sugar, chocolate chips. And what does throwing all of these into a bowl create?"

"Dough?" Cynthia asked.

"Yes... But not until mixed. Beaten and battered with a whisk or a spoon. And when introduced to prolonged heat..." He took a bite of the cookie in his hand. "It makes something far greater than the sum of its parts."

Athena wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. She got what he was saying, but... What a weird way of saying it.

"Now then..." Ozpin stood and grabbed his plate. "I believe we should all get some rest. You two certainly shouldn't stay up much later. Classes start bright and early tomorrow."

"Y-yeah."Athena stood shortly after him. "Uh... Thanks for not chewing us out, Professor."

"Yeah, thanks, Oz." Cynthia added, Athena taking note of how she was apparently on nickname basis with the headmaster, yet she had still yet to utter her name.

"No thanks needed, ladies." The headmaster turned on his heels. "Have a good night."

The two girls watched the man disappear into the halls of Beacon before Cynthia turned to Athena. "He's right. We should probably head back."

"Right. I'll clean up these dishes. Just wait outside a sec." Athena said to her leader as she gather their glasses and headed into the kitchen.

Cynthia stood outside the exit of the cafeteria for a few minutes until Athena finally joined her. They closed the door and began to head back to their dorm in silence. An awkward silence that hung in the air for several minutes, before Cynthia finally broke it.

"You don't think I'm up for it, do you?"

"Huh?"

"Being leader." Cynthia said, jamming her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "You think it should've been you."

"I-" Athena had no response to this.

"Honestly, I think you're right. I've never been the one to lead. Hell, I've never had anyone TO lead. It's always just been me... And, well, Clem too." The two entered the dorm building and began to make their way to their dorm on the second floor. "But... I wanna try. If Ozpin thinks I have what it takes... I want to be the best leader I can be!" Cynthia looked to her partner, holding a fist to her chest as they stood outside their dorm.

"...I think you'll be a great leader, Cynthia." Athena said. "Or... I hope, at least. Remains to be seen. But, hoping for you to fail is like hoping the pilot of the airship has a heart attack. So, I'll do everything I can to help you, and be the best teammate you could hope for!" Athena held a fist out to her new friend, which Cynthia met with her own.

"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship... Athena."


End file.
